


The Perfect Night

by capiocapi



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Gen, Post-War, Pre-Movie, Slice of Life, baby!Poe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 11:16:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10740600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capiocapi/pseuds/capiocapi
Summary: Shara and Kes celebrate their son Poe's third birthday on Yavin IV.





	The Perfect Night

Shara scanned the tree line, eyes automatically drawn to the places intruders would be most likely to hide. 

“You’re surveilling again.” 

Kes came to stand next to her on the back porch, his presence a familiar, welcome one. 

“Can’t help it.” Her eyes softened as she looked at the toddler playing in the grass not 6 meters away. “He’s so big now.”

“Do you think we’ll ever get used to it? Just… living?”

Shara had been reflecting on the same thing. As much as she had longed to get out of the service and back to civilian life, and as much as she’d been completely sure that it was the right thing for her family, it still felt alien to her. “I hope so.”

Then again, Shara was far less concerned with whether or not she’d ever get used to civilian life than with the fact that her son would be spared war. The whole reason she’d fought, the whole reason all of them had worked so hard to stamp out the Empire was so that their kids could inherit a better galaxy.

She turned to shoot her husband a grin. “Poe loves it here.”

In the clearing beyond, the little boy in question plopped down onto the grass and rolled a brightly-colored ball toward a cylinder in front of him. The ball entered one side and popped out the top of the cylinder, bouncing in a random direction. Each time it happened, the little dark-haired boy clapped in delight, and then sprang up to chase the ball, only to plop down again and repeat the whole process.

Kes couldn’t help but chuckle. “He’s a happy kid. Speaking of… when do the guests arrive?”

Shara snorted. “What does that have to do with him being a happy kid?”

“Well they’ll be bringing birthday gifts with them, won’t they? Visitors bearing gifts is the definition of happiness for a three-year-old.”

She sighed. “Probably true.” 

Turning her gaze back to the tree line she answered, “Lina and Pip will be here soon. They’re the closest, and they’re off duty by 1, our time. The rest will be here by dinner.”

She gave her husband a pointed look. “Leia can’t make it, but Luke is coming.”

Kes gave a playful wince. “Guess I’d better make sure that tree is nice and watered then, huh?”

* * *

A warm breeze wafted over the yard, gently swaying the paper streamers hung from tabletops and trees. Evening was approaching, but the light was slow to fade, leaving the party lit with a gentle glow that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

Poe sat in his birthday seat in the center of the party, now playing with a couple toy ships someone had given him, cake crumbs sitting unnoticed in his curly hair. 

Shara paused at the backdoor, drink refills she’d just brought from the kitchen forgotten in her hands. It was perfect. She wished she could capture this moment in a box and preserve it forever. Most of her squadron had been able to come, as well as several of Kes’ old buddies. These were the people they’d fought alongside, the people they’d trusted with their lives. These were her family. And somehow, somehow they’d managed to not only survive, but come through the other side smiling and laughing and sipping yarba tea under a beautiful clear sky celebrating her son’s third birthday in their backyard. For one precious, beautiful moment, it was as if the Empire had never existed. She could almost imagine that life had always been this perfect.

Except that no sooner was the thought fully formed in her mind than it was quickly followed by names. Biggs, Jek, Grizz, Theron, Brina, Tycho, and on and on. The people who had given their lives to make this moment possible. She’d never be able to pretend that the Empire had never existed because the price to be free of it had been too high. As happy and as perfect as this moment was, she couldn’t help but think of those who hadn’t lived to see it.

A wry voice broke through her thoughts. “Heavy thoughts for a birthday party.”

She mentally shook herself and glanced at the Jedi Master she’d probably never be able to think of as anything other than a squadron pilot. 

Shara shrugged. Heavy thoughts always seemed to follow close behind the bright ones, like two sides of the same cloud. “Bittersweet,” she replied.

Luke hummed in agreement and nodded toward the side of the yard where the a small tree grew in a little circle of dirt. “It’s exactly the same size as mine.”

“Really? It seems to be growing fast for a tree, but we figured it was just the atmosphere here.”

“It’s the mirror image of the one I have at home. I think they’re connected somehow.”

Shara nodded. “The mysterious Force. Sounds like something it’d do. Do you think having it here will have an effect on Poe?”

Now it was Luke’s turn to shrug. “Despite the rumors, I actually have very little experience in these things. The only thing I know is that it isn’t harmful - no idea of it helps.”

It certainly couldn’t hurt. Shara didn’t know much about the Force, and she definitely didn’t understand it, but she couldn’t deny its power. She’d seen Luke do incredible things, both in an x-wing and on the ground. Being trusted with a piece of something that had been part of the old Jedi Temple was an honor.

Kes suddenly joined them on the porch, taking the drinks from his wife’s hands. “I’ve been watering it!” he declared, turning back to the party.

Luke chuckled, tugging Shara away from the house and back to toward the tables. “Come on, why don’t you see if you can convince Kes to get out his guitar. I haven’t heard him play in forever.”

And that’s how the perfect night ended. With Kes quietly strumming his guitar, Poe asleep in Shara’s lap, and the adults - the survivors - her family gathered around quietly humming along, or engaging in hushed conversations around the table as the stars came out.


End file.
